Lord Mayor ‘kowtows to China with Taiwan ban’

As THE political furore engulfs No10 over the reported decision to involve Huawei in the construction of Britain’s new 5G network, the Lord Mayor of London has been accused of kowtowing to China.

For I can disclose that current incumbent Peter Estlin is embroiled in a controversy after the organisers of this year’s spectacular Lord Mayor’s show excluded Taiwan from the annual procession of floats from around the world.

Estlin, 57, is a Barclays executive who used to work for salomon Brothers Asia. His year in office was inaugurated by the 2018 show.

Proudly independent of Communist mainland China, Taiwan has had a float for years, according to Lib Dem peer Baroness Barker.

she alleges the ban is to appease China, which does not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign country, and claims it as part of its territory.

‘The Chinese have put pressure — as they do in all sorts of different ways — on the Lord Mayor’s office,’ she tells me.

‘so this time the Lord Mayor’s office has declined Taiwan’s application to participate.

‘It’s all part of the campaign by the Chinese government to diminish recognition of Taiwan.’

This sudden allergy to Taiwan coincides with the Government’s newfound appetite for doing business with China. On Wednesday Gavin Williamson was fired as Defence secretary for allegedly leaking details about the decision to involve Chinese contractor Huawei in the new mobile network.

A spokesman for the Lord Mayor’s show Limited declines to say why Taiwan’s application has been rejected, nor whether the decision was taken by Estlin.

Memorialised in paintings by Canaletto and Hogarth, and originating 800 years ago, the Lord Mayor’s show is the longest and, it is claimed, ‘the most splendid’ civic procession on Earth featuring a kaleidoscope of floats, as well as the 250yearold state Coach.

Describing the threemile long procession through the City of London in November as ‘a familyorientated day out, aimed at welcoming the new Lord Mayor into office’, the spokesman says: ‘It is not a political event.’

Really?